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So in a quest to get her sold, working on bird cage (proof of condition and reconditioning) re sealing. Looking at it when disassembled (partly) looks like age destroyed the weather stripping, and some light rust.
planning on cleaning up, and resealing.
questions: how do I get the corners off? The last windshield trim piece? Don’t want to break the glass...
what to prep, prime, and paint with?
what to seal with?
windshield removal hopefully avoided....
will dig into the search more, but also want to get pics out there for condition opinions...
Last edited by Jokerb90; Oct 18, 2020 at 01:28 PM.
Reason: Detail
The windshield glass has to come out to remove or install the upper corners. A couple of screws in front behind the glass edge and it's easy to break....
If your windshield isn't already broken and you remove the end castings that hold the sun visors proceed with
Originally Posted by SwampeastMike
extreme caution! There are two small screws into each from the front near the windshield edge. It is extremely easy to nick the windshield edge when removing the screws! Edge nicks cannot be repaired and will run before long.
If you wonder about what to use to replace the hard black stuff used to seal some of the pieces used fibered roofing cement. You can find it in caulk gun tubes at any hardware store. The original GM product is no longer available but from the description I found it was essentially fibered roofing cement.
Went back with the pic, dug around looking for the corner screws — and found holes and more sealant Guess they aren’t 100% needed. Some cheap insurance tape, and lots of tedious glue cleaning. Inside passenger. Inside driver
Duct Seal Compound. Seals conduit openings against drafts, dust, moisture and noise. Protects terminal boxes, pot heads and bushings from corrosive elements. Deadens switch gear panel noise. Dough-like compound is easily “thumbed” over holes and gaps. Will not harden or form a skin under normal conditions.
After prep, prime and paint — will likely use this for sealant. Use it all over the Cutters, never really hardens, and should fill all of the space. If it works good, will update. If not - meh, $15 for 5lbs and easy clean up.
I had some sort of grey plumbers putty-like material in there from the factory. My car is a 68 and they tend to have some quirky different manufacturing processes than the rest of the c3's..
What is clear by the countless number of rotted C3 Corvette windshields is hat none of what the "factory" did to seal a windshield actually worked. I would iike to find out something that WOULD seal the windshield trim properly. On my 77 rebuild I blasted, epoxy primed and painted the windshield trim, plus I avoid driving in rain when predicted,......so I am good for life, but still would like to know
What is clear by the countless number of rotted C3 Corvette windshields is hat none of what the "factory" did to seal a windshield actually worked. I would iike to find out something that WOULD seal the windshield trim properly. On my 77 rebuild I blasted, epoxy primed and painted the windshield trim, plus I avoid driving in rain when predicted,......so I am good for life, but still would like to know
From my observation when I was cleaning mine all up, the original seam sealer that they use between the fiberglass cowl and at the corners of the front fenders just at the bottom corners of the window separated over time allowing moisture to get in between the fiberglass and metal of the birdcage. It was pretty rusted in those areas and possibly rusted through to the inside (I could see a lot of flaking looking up the frame channel near the kick panel). So my guess is this is how they rot out so bad and quick.
On mine I stripped everything I could get access to without separating the fiberglass from the bird cage of course (literally hours with a wire wheel, paint stripper wheel and picking out all the old sealer in the seams). Painted SEM Rust Trap over any signs of corrosion I could see inside the frame, at any seams, and in those gaps between the separated fiberglass and bird cage. Then I sprayed the whole thing with self etching primer because the rest of my metal was in great condition. Then I used Eastwood internal frame coating and sprayed the hell out of everywhere I could stick the wand in the inside of the birdcage. Then went over all those gaps and seams with new 2k epoxy SEM seam sealer, and now I'm FINALLY about to spray it all black and have a windshield installed.
I'm going to an extreme attempt to make sure it never leaks again and spreads rust.
Bird cage / trim removal
Thanks for posting - looking for the same answer. My driver side corner trim has a couple "bubbles". Passenger side is perfect.
